The next morning, I woke up to total chaos. As soon as I opened my eyes, there were men jumping around with beer in hand, food scattered across tables, and people chanting, "Skinwalker! Skinwalker! Skinwalker!" I thought to myself, What on earth is going on here? Before I could ask, Breatha came up behind me, threw her arm over my neck, and grinned. "Well, hot dang, boy! You really did it! I didn't think your body could handle that much pressure. And I gotta apologize about talking about your parents like that—I didn't grow up with a family either, so I know how it feels. Didn't want you to feel bad, Skinwalker. And as for the chanting, we're celebrating. We finally have someone new in the guild!" She gave me a big smile, but then, in her drunken state, she spilled almost the entire jug of beer on top of me. "Oh, oops! Sorry about that, kid! Looks like you'll need to wash up now," she slurred, blaming someone else for the spill. Her arm still hung heavily over me, making it hard to escape. I needed out.
I could see the night was still young, so I decided to head out to meet Val. Not wanting to stay longer, I ordered a few jugs of beer, grabbed them, and slipped out of there as quickly as I could. Outside, all I had to do was find Val's shop again. I only remembered it wasn't very welcoming and that it was near the inn. But before heading there, I went behind the guild where they had a washhouse. The lady there asked me to leave my clothes in a basket, promising they would be cleaned by the time I was done. Without much thought, I went in and washed off the stink of beer. When I returned, my clothes were sparkling clean—something I hadn't seen in a while. The bath was perfect, too. I asked the lady how much I owed her, and with a gentle smile, she said it was free, since Breatha had caused the mess and she was her favorite customer. I couldn't believe how kind the people here were.
But it was time to go, and I needed to meet the old man and give him his booze. One thing about the Capital was that it was always packed with people. No matter the time, the streets were crowded. Navigating through them with beer in hand without spilling it proved to be a worthy challenge.
I got through the alleyway easier than I expected. There it was again, that strange light flickering in the alley, but this time it wasn't the same as the one I had seen just a day ago. It seemed odd, but I wasn't about to let that stop me. I pressed on, pushing past my doubts. As I entered, I spotted Val sleeping inside his shop. I approached quietly, wondering if he was still awake. The idea of tossing water on him crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. After all, he'd helped me with killing the Plant-Vex and getting me registered. If it had been Lai, though...well, that's a different story.
I was about to sit on one of the benches to relax for a bit when Val's voice broke the silence. "Oh, Mister Skinwalker, you're back? I didn't think you'd come back for payment. That's what the last human did, anyways." He seemed surprised, but I just smiled as I handed him the beers. Without a second thought, he chugged them all down one by one, as though he hadn't a care in the world.
I leaned back on the bench, trying to catch my breath. "Well, I'm not that last human, Val," I said, easing into the moment. "I just came for your payment, and call me Kai—much easier on the mouth. But, I must be going now. I'm starving, and when I'm hungry, it's not wise to mess with me. That's all I'm saying. Goodbye."
Just as I turned to leave, he grabbed my arm, holding me in place with an unexpected strength. I tried to pull away, but it was like he was made of stone. I realized then that I was the one who was weak—level 2 and completely outmatched in this moment. "Wait," he said, his grip firm and unyielding. Something about the way he held me in place told me that whatever was coming next was inevitable.
He let go of my arm soon enough, and I exhaled in relief, trying to keep my frustration in check. "What is it, Val? I'm all ears, but make it quick, okay? Like I said, hunger is the worst feeling for me." I didn't want to seem impatient, but the urgency of my stomach gnawing at me made it hard to ignore.
Val approached me slowly, his expression serious, and asked for my dagger. I hesitated. That little dagger had cost me quite a lot of money, and it meant more to me than he could possibly know. But, I had no choice. I handed it over, and the moment I did, streams of light erupted from it, blinding and radiant. I had to shield my eyes from the intensity. The light pulsed, almost as if it had a life of its own, and then, with a sharp sound, it faded.
When I finally dared to open my eyes, I was stunned. The dagger was no longer a simple, cheap tool. It had transformed. The blade was longer, more elegant, and the damage from the Plant-Vex had been completely repaired. It wasn't a dagger anymore—it was a short sword. My breath caught in my throat as I reached for it, still in shock.
Val's voice cracked, barely a whisper. "Thank you, Skinwalker, for visiting me in my last moments. From now on, that sword carries my life within it. Do as you will with it. Never hesitate to fight, and don't fear breaking it. Whenever it breaks, it will repair and grow stronger. A man's sword is his life." His words lingered in the air as his form began to shimmer and fade, becoming more transparent with each passing second. "Whenever you feel like you can't go on, just shout 'Valkadis.' This is my gift to you for visiting me, bringing me my last drink, and for the time we shared. We only met yesterday, but I'm glad I met you. Now... it's time for me to meet my wife again. I'll tell her about you."
He placed his hand gently on mine, his voice growing fainter. "Please, protect the people around you. Never take them for granted."
And then, in the blink of an eye, Val vanished. His body, the shop—everything—was gone. Only a small piece of paper remained, fluttering in the space where he had once stood. I stood there, speechless, a tear slipping down my cheek.
"You can't just give me your life, old man," I muttered under my breath, trying to steady myself. "Some people just don't know when to quit."
I carefully placed the short sword in its sheath at my side and walked toward the piece of paper. I picked it up, slipped it into my pocket, and decided I'd read it later. For now, I had more pressing matters to attend to.
I walked out of the alleyway, the weight of the day heavy on my mind. As I tried to come up with a new plan, with nothing urgent pressing me, the only logical course of action seemed to be heading back to the inn to finally read the piece of paper Val had left me. I could figure things out from there. But, of course, the guild had other plans for me.
"Mister Skinwalker," came Miss Pres.'s voice, cutting through the crowd, "may I ask you to come with me? We have a quest that needs doing, and you still lack expertise—so you're the perfect person for the job." She appeared at my side, pulling me toward the guild before I had a chance to protest. I couldn't exactly refuse; it wasn't in my rulebook to turn down a beautiful woman, though Big Breatha didn't quite fit the description. I followed her, resigned to the fact that I'd have to deal with whatever she threw my way.
Soon enough, we stood in front of the guild. I was hoping for something simple, maybe just a job that would let me get out of here quickly. The place, however, was eerily empty, save for the sleepy receptionist behind the counter. Miss Pres. guided me over to the 'Quest Board,' where quests were posted according to your rank. It was all fairly straightforward, but before I could speak, she had already taken the lead.
"Would you care to kindly look at your card, Skinwalker?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of authority. I took my card out of my coat sleeve, and she continued, "As you can see, you are currently ranked 'Rookie,' which means you're only allowed to take quests of your rank or one rank above. Occasionally, we'll assign you a quest ourselves. You can decline it, but that might affect our trust in you." She handed me a quest paper, which read: 'Defeat 20 wolves by sunrise tomorrow. Reward: 20 Silver coins and one barrel of booze.'
I stared at her for a moment, meeting her gaze, and then asked, "Do I even have a choice in this?" She just nodded and delivered a resounding "no," so effortlessly that it felt almost scripted.
I snatched the paper from her hand, marched to the front desk, and slammed it down in front of the receptionist. "Assign me this quest right now," I told her. She slowly got up, barely looking at the paper before stamping it with the 'Assign' mark, barely acknowledging me before returning to her nap. I couldn't help but grumble, but at least I didn't make a scene. I waved the paper in front of Miss Pres., my irritation rising, before storming off.
As I exited, I overheard the conversation between Miss Pres. and the receptionist.
"Do you think he'll be able to do it?" the receptionist asked, doubt evident in her voice.
Miss Pres. responded confidently, "You don't know anything, darling. The Plant-Vex isn't a normal abomination. Brute strength won't work; it just regrows. You'd need to cut it into a thousand pieces for it to die, and that takes a true warrior. A mage with flame magic could kill it, but only if they could evade its super-fast leaves. And even if you can avoid those, the poison bombs would kill you. The point is..."
The receptionist stared at her, waiting for her to finish, but Miss Pres. hesitated. She looked exhausted and took a seat before speaking again, her voice softer. "He's no normal human. He's the first one to pass the test under the new rules the higher-ups imposed. Before, you just had to kill a wolf and pass a written test. But now, 20 wolves should be no problem for him."
The receptionist's eyes widened in disbelief. She had a long, skeptical stare, unsure if Miss Pres. had gone mad. But she wasn't about to lose sleep over it. The last thing she wanted was another casket to add to the pile of fallen mercenaries. She yawned, glancing at her collar that read Guild Association - Head Speaker, then sighed deeply. "Guess I talk too much, huh?" she muttered, not even caring about the situation anymore.